If you’ve searched for anything recently, you’ve noticed it: AI is now answering questions that Google used to show as a list of links. It’s no longer just about ranking on Google’s first page – more and more, search answers are coming directly from AI-driven systems like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini.
In the UK, AI Overviews now appear in more than 15% of Google searches, and that figure is climbing fast. In early 2025, the proportion of searches triggering an AI Overview doubled in just a few months.
These stats, plus our own view on where search is heading, are why we’ve built AI Search Optimisation directly into our SEO programmes: to keep our clients visible when the search experience is AI-first, not link-first.
Why This Matters for Local Businesses
Digital Marketing is about meeting your customers where they are – and where they’re going.
AI Search is not a fad – it is fundamentally rewriting how customers are discovering brands, products, services along with having questions answered and finding solutions to problems.
- Changing visibility patterns. Traditional featured snippets are declining, replaced by AI Overviews .
- Click distribution shifts. In some sectors, a larger share of clicks go to the sources mentioned in AI answers, bypassing traditional organic results completely.
- Long-term growth of AI search. Forecasts suggest AI-driven search could overtake traditional search visitors by 2028 .
In other words – fewer customers are scrolling down Google search pages and clicking web links. Instead, they are turning to AI tools and reading AI Overviews. If you aren’t appearing inside AI responses – you risk disappearing from search discovery completely.
How AI Search Optimisation Differs from Traditional SEO
While traditional SEO still matters, AI search requires different tactics.
This means new skills are needed with different testing criteria – from prompt analysis to entity management. We anticipate seeing many local businesses with their traditional SEO dialled in, but are struggling to be found in AI Search Results.
Our Prompt Universe Methodology
At the heart of our AI Search Optimisation strategy is what we call the Customer Prompt Universe – the real conversational questions your potential customers are asking AI systems today. Unlike traditional keyword lists, these prompts mirror how people phrase their queries and follow-up questions in tools like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Here’s how it works:
- Discovery. We compile hundreds of questions and prompts from industry research, customer FAQs, competitor analysis, and AI query testing.
- Clustering. Prompts are grouped by intent (e.g. “comparison”, “pricing”, “local services”), location, and funnel stage.
- Surface Mapping. We identify which prompts most often trigger AI Overviews in Google, or surface in Perplexity and ChatGPT.
- Prioritisation. We select the “money prompts” – the 10-20 most commercially valuable – for targeted optimisation.
- Ongoing Testing. We run prompts regularly across AI platforms to measure changes in visibility and adjust content accordingly.
This approach moves beyond keyword lists into real, conversational language that AI systems actually respond to.
Experimenting on ourselves first
In March 2025 we started experimenting with our own content strategy. For us, it’s important that we test new strategies on ourselves first then build expertise and resources – before pushing it through to clients.
The results were dramatic, with a growing portion of traffic and leads coming from a range of AI sources, leading to a complete restructure of our website and content strategy through June and July. By the end of August 2025, we expect to scale back paid advertising significantly, relying primarily on organic traffic and search discovery for new leads.
The chart below demonstrates the impact better than any words can.
Free AI Visibility Check For SMEs
Before making changes and implementing new content strategies, it’s important to know where you and your competitors stand today and what is being measured. All our existing clients now see this in detail, every month, as part of their monthly reports.
For everyone else – we’ve built this into a free tool for any local business in the North East of England. We call it our AI Search Visibility Check (ASVC).
Our ASVC Report is designed to show how often your brand, website, or web pages are mentioned or linked to in AI Search Summaries and show how you compare to your competitors.
Here’s what an ASVC will show you:
- AI Overview Presence. See if your business is appearing inside Google’s AI-generated answers for key searches in your industry and location.
- Competitor Snapshot. Discover which competitor websites are being cited in those AI answers instead of you.
- AI Visibility Score. A simple percentage showing how often you appear in our test searches versus the competition.
- Example AI Result. A screenshot of a real AI Overview so you can see exactly how it looks and who is featured.
- Traditional Search Baseline. A quick look at where you rank in regular Google results for those same searches.
We generally turn ASVC reports around within 24 hours. They are completely free, with no obligation to pay us anything afterwards. It’s the fastest way to see exactly where you stand in AI search today – and uncover your biggest opportunities to get ahead.
To get your free AI Search Visibility Check, please email support@tynesidemarketing.co.uk with the subject “ASVC Report Request”. Include your business website address in the email, with a short description about what your business does and where. We’ll send your free report within 24 hours.
What This Means for Current SEO Clients
Search is no longer just about blue-link rankings. AI-generated answers are now a regular part of how customers find information – in Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other emerging platforms. That’s why our SEO programmes have evolved to cover both traditional rankings and AI answer visibility as part of one integrated service.
From now on, when we optimise your site, we’re not only working to improve your position in Google’s classic results. We’re also building your presence inside AI-generated answers – so your business is still part of the conversation when customers search in new ways.
With this combined approach, you’ll get:
- Full search visibility coverage. One strategy that works across classic SERPs and AI-driven answers
- Unified reporting. A single report showing keyword rankings, AI Overview presence, and share of voice
- Future-proof optimisation. As AI’s share of search grows, your visibility adapts without needing a separate contract or service package bolt-on.
SEO and AI Search Optimisation aren’t two competing products. They’re two sides of the same coin – and we’re making sure you get the benefit of both.
All current clients, on any SEO package level before September 30, 2025 will automatically have AI Search Optimisation layered in, with no additional cost. This will expand your coverage from ranking for keywords to being a recommended source when someone asks an AI tool for advice in your niche.
After September 30, we’ll introduce updated SEO packages that include AI Search Optimisation as standard. This reflects the expanded scope of work needed to keep you visible in both traditional and AI-driven search – with packages expected to start from around £900 per month.
The Bottom Line
AI is rewriting how customers find and choose businesses and solutions. Our role is to make sure your brand is still in the conversation, literally, when those questions are being answered. As we move towards becoming a full service AI Marketing Agency, we’ll continue to keep our clients ahead of the curve – and ahead of their competition.
